Vancouver, BC - Vancouver Coastal Health has signed agreements for six new and expanded residential care facilities, providing about 600 beds across the health authority, including 225 additional beds. The agreements are part of a $40 million, 10-year strategy that will see a significant number of the region’s residential care facilities rebuilt.
“This is great news as British Columbia’s population is aging and growing, so we need to be ready for the care shift that will take place,” said Health Minister Terry Lake. “This announcement also reflects government’s strategic direction of providing more home and community care.”
All of the rooms will be private, with ensuite washrooms. This will give residents more privacy and ensure best practices for infection control. Spaces will be brighter and hallways wider to better accommodate wheelchairs. Special care units will provide the safety and security required for residents with advanced dementia and challenging behaviours.
A long-term goal of the project is to provide more flexibility in terms of placing residents closer to their home community, since beds will be better distributed based on community needs. The number of direct care hours that residents receive from staff will also be increased under the terms of these agreements.
“This is part of the biggest improvement of residential care facilities in VCH in the past 50 years,” says Mary Ackenhusen, President and CEO of VCH. “VCH is planning ahead to ensure we meet the complex care needs of our aging population and provide new and expanded care homes that will be designed to enhance the quality of life for residents.”
Negotiations are still underway for even more new or expanded facilities, and VCH expects to announce agreements for approximately 300 additional new beds for Vancouver later this year.
Signed agreements include the following new and expanded facilities:
Vancouver
Richmond
North Shore
Sechelt
Hamilton Village, Creekstone and Silverstone will be built and operated by the Trellis Group.
The agreements were reached through a procurement process that began in the fall of 2014. As with all public procurement, this rigorous process was bound by strict confidentiality and conflict of interest procedures.
Residential care services include 24/7 nursing care and support to individuals who can no longer live safely at home with supports. Facilities are licensed and regularly inspected by Community Care Facilities Licensing, which posts all its reports on VCH’s website. Services are provided to eligible VCH residents through a mix of facilities that are directly owned and operated by VCH, affiliated with Providence Health Care or contracted through private or not-for-profit providers.
Vancouver Coastal Health is responsible for the delivery of $3.4 billion in community, hospital and residential care to more than one million people in communities including Richmond, Vancouver, the North Shore, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky corridor, Powell River, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.